Random House have done a trailer for my upcoming book: The Revolution Will Be Digitised. Available from August 18th.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Video: The Revolution Will Be Digitised
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011Prince Andrew: Time to go
Monday, March 7th, 2011“The gas can be turned up and the gas can be turned down,” the minister said, but stressed there was no question of removing the prince. “The royals go on, that is what they do,” he said.
This was said not about the Saudi royal family in light of the pro-democracy movements sweeping the Middle East, rather they are the words of a UK cabinet minister speaking about the British royal family in today’s newspapers. The power the Royal family wield and the public money they claim is entirely a matter for their own discretion. Prince Andrew apparently cannot be sacked from his ‘voluntary role’ at the UK Trade & Investment government agency despite becoming a national embarrassment with his cosy meetings with despots and criminals.
Former Foreign Minister Chris Bryant tried to raise the issue of Prince Andrew’s position and lack of accountability on the floor of the House of Commons. “Isn’t it time we dispensed with the services of the Duke of York?” he asked.
Amazingly he was scolded by the Speaker John Bercow for daring to ask this much-needed question:
“References to members of the Royal Family should be very rare, very sparing and very respectful. We have to be very careful in our handling of these matters.”
Do we? Why? Are we living in Thailand where it is illegal to criticise the Royal Family? Or Brunei where the Constitution states “His Majesty the Sultan can do no wrong in either his personal or any official capacity” and further admonishes that “No person shall publish or reproduce in Brunei or elsewhere any part of proceedings that may have the effect of lowering or adversely affecting directly or indirectly the position, dignity, standing, honour, eminence or sovereignty of His Majesty the Sultan”. It seems Prince Andrew shares a similar standing to the Sultan in John Bercow’s mind.
It is remarkable we know as much as we do about Prince Andrew’s activities as the Royal family are protected from public accountability by law. Last May in the wash-up of government an amendment to the Freedom of Information Act was pushed through granting the royal family an absolute exemption from the public’s right to know. Even before this, the Royals were not covered by the law directly. Instead the public had a limited right to make FOIs to public bodies about royal funding and lobbying of public officials. Now even that minimal level of accountability has been eliminated.
This is a travesty. As long as the royal family can cream off public money and influence public policy all without any form of public accountability then we are subjects not citizens and in no position to lecture anyone about democracy.
Public call for stronger data protection
Friday, November 26th, 2010UK Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has handed out the first fines for breaches of the Data Protection Act saying they will “send a strong message” to those handling data.
The commissioner was given the ability to fine organisations up to £500,000 for breaching the Act earlier this year. Hertfordshire County Council was fined £100,000 for sending two faxes regarding a child sex abuse case to the wrong recipient. Sheffield-based company A4e was fined £60,000 after a computer containing the unencrypted data of 24,000 people was lost. Both incidents occurred in June.
In these cases, both organisations came forward of their own accord. In some American states such as California, revealing breaches such as this is mandatory The system in the UK is currently voluntary although a recent poll published by LogRhythm showed that 80 percent of people wanted more stringent laws regarding data breaches.
Out of the 5000 people surveyed, 31 percent even suggested that company directors should be subject to criminal proceedings. Many have welcomed the commissioner’s step towards protecting sensitive data. The Financial Times referred to Graham as a “privacy watchdog chief with a bite”, and noted that the announcement follows criticism of the ICO’s handing of the Google Street View data collection controversy.
Perhaps the ICO is trying to prove it is a watchdog with teeth.
Facebook rival Diaspora goes live
Thursday, November 25th, 2010A “privacy aware” social network called Diaspora went live on Wednesday. It was founded earlier this year by four students from New York University who saw an opportunity for a new type of service to counter Facebook which has increasingly come under attack for its dubious privacy policy.
One of Diaspora’s founders, Maxwell Salzberg told the BBC: “We are going after the idea there are all these centralised services where people are giving up their personal information. We want to put users back in control of what they share.”
It’s refreshing to see a social network that doesn’t require individuals to hand over reams of private data but with Facebook’s 500 million members, is there a place for Diaspora? Although the company plans to roll out services gradually, subscription to the site is only available to a small number of invited users.
Salzberg says Diaspora, “is not just about Facebook. Facebook is not what we are going after.” But the founders will have to progress past the “baby steps” they outline in a blog post on the site if they want their privacy-championing project to challenge the status quo.
New events added
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010I’ve added three new listings to events page. If you were hoping to come along to the Edinburgh International Book Festival I’m afraid it’s already sold out.
Thursday 12 August – 7.00pm – Frontline Club
Saturday 21 August – 12:00-1:00pm – Edinburgh International Book Festival
Monday 13 September – 7:00-8:30pm – Westminster Skeptics, London
A few words on the Times paywall
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010Inevitably since I’ve written for the Times a few readers have questioned why, as the paper’s online content is no longer free. Andrew Denny, for example, wrote: ‘Is there not an irony in the fact that your Times articles are now online behind a paywall and not openly accessible?’
It’s a point I’d like to address.
Firstly this comment is to miss the clear difference between a public body and private industry. The courts are paid for by the public. We have no choice but to pay our taxes – under threat of jail – to support this service which exists for the benefit of the public as a whole. Whether we like what we get is immaterial to the taxes we must pay. Transparency is one of the only ways to ensure this public body is working efficiently for the benefit of all, not just the elite.
The Times is a private company. Its survival depends entirely on whether people feel they get something of value for the money they pay. Newspapers are not free and they never have been. They can appear to be so but someone, somewhere is covering the costs whether that is through advertising, a patron’s largesse or a license fee. Advertising is no longer subsidising the industry and so the cost must fall somewhere – why not on the people who use it?
I actually believe journalism must improve if the Times is asking people to pay for it, as readers are not going to pay for inaccurate rumour or propaganda. They can get that anywhere – for free. What quality journalism can offer is synthesis of a great amount of material which is then verified and put into language everyone can understand.
I believe the experience and skills I’ve gained over 22 years as a journalist and writer have value which is why I don’t give away my work for free. I’ve written for the Times because they have valued what I do enough to pay me. The New Statesman magazine also asked me to write an article but they didn’t want to pay me anything. To me, that shows how much they value quality journalism.
If you don’t think there is any value in the work I, or any other serious journalists do, then don’t spend your money on it. At least you have the choice. You’ll still have to pay your taxes, though.
Speaking at Hay Literary Festival May 29th
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010For many years I’ve attended the Hay Literary Festival as an audience member. For the first time this year I am a speaker. Wahay!
I’ll be Event Number 67 on Saturday 29th May at 7.00 pm speaking about my latest book, The Silent State, with the writer and lawyer Philippe Sands. The event is being held in the Guardian Stage and I’ll be vying to pack it out despite some heavy competition from such literary luminaries as Alain de Botton, David Mitchell, Grayson Perry and Jerry Hall (eh?).
You can buy tickets in advance here and there will be a book signing event afterward.
Heather on HARDtalk
Thursday, April 8th, 2010Britain’s political establishment is still recovering from last year’s scandal surrounding Members of Parliament and their expenses. As accounts of lawmakers’ claims were revealed in the press, public anger grew and their popularity nosedived.
Heather Brooke is the journalist and campaigner whose investigations exposed the opaqueness of the expenses system. She talks to Sarah Montague about the culture of secrecy in Britain and the importance of making public information more accessible.
Speaking at the Southbank
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010I’ll be in conversation with historian Tristram Hunt on Tuesday 13th April 13th at 7.45pm. The event is part of the Southbank Centre’s Election 2010 series and I’ll be discussing The Silent State.
New WWI records available from National Archives
Monday, November 12th, 2007The ‘Burnt’ records are First World War soldiers’ records that were literally burnt during the Blitz and for the first time they are now available to search online. The name search is free but there is a charge to download records.
Most surnames starting A to C are now available via Ancestry.co.uk.